Background and aims: We aimed to evaluate the short-term effects of gonadotropin-releasing hormone analogs (GnRHa) on anthropometric measurements, adiposity, eating-habits and psychological parameters in girls with precocious/early-fast puberty.
Methods: Sixty-one girls (8.5 ± 0.9 years) were recruited. Thirty-four precocious/early-fast puberty (PP/EFP) and 27 pre-puberty girls served as controls. Outcome measures assessed at baseline and after 4-months (GnRHa-treatment in precocious/early-fast puberty group) included anthropometric and body-fat measurements, 3-day food-diaries, Child Eating-Behaviour-Questionnaire, Quality-of-life, self-esteem, body-image and state-anxiety questionnaires.
Results: At baseline, girls with PP/EFP had significantly higher weight-SDS, BMI-SDS, body surface area (BSA), waist circumference and fat-percentage as compared to controls. After 4-months, significant increases in BMI-SDS (P=0.005), body-fat percentage (P<0.001) and carbohydrate intake (P=0.021), which was reflected as an increase of 173 Kcal/day were found only in the PP/EFP group. Eating behavior (CEBQ) was similar between groups and did not change. After 4-months no between group differences were observed in the changes of quality-of-life, self-esteem and state-anxiety questionnaires.   Frequency of girls wanting to be thinner was reported in the PP/EFP group as compared to controls after 4-months only (65.5% vs. 19.0%, respectively, P=0.005).
Conclusions: Our findings suggest that short-term GnRHa treatment in girls with precocious/early-fast puberty causes an increase in energy intake, mainly from carbohydrate consumption. The increase in caloric intake may contribute to the increase in weight status and body adiposity. Interestingly, psychological consequences of early puberty in girls, at least in the short term, are encouraging with the exception for a desire to be thinner.

THE SHORT-TERM EFFECTS OF GONADOTROPIN-RELEASING HORMONE ANALOGS ON WEIGHT-STATUS, EATING HABITS AND PSYCHOLOGICAL PARAMETERS IN GIRLS WITH PRECOCIOUS/EARLY-FAST PUBERTY: A PROSPECTIVE OBSERVATIONAL STUDY